September Summers
by Hikari-chan
Summary: Sometimes, one decision can change your whole outlook on life. Post the takedown of the Organization, Conan learns to grow up a second time...and discovers what really matters in life.


**September Summers**

By: Hikari-chan (Chitsuki)

**Disclaimer**: Detective Conan and all its related recognizable elements belong to Gosho Aoyama. This is written for entertainment purposes only and I make no profits off it.

**Preface (Please read)**: This piece uses the "31 days" themes over at the LiveJournal community of the same name as inspiration. They are the themes for September 2013 (hence the title). I wrote this as a semi-experiment; each section/flashfic leads into the next one using the next theme, so the "plot" is really driven by the themes over anything else. They are supposed to all link up to one interconnected fic though, so please read in the order presented.

Inspiration is taken from: The Mentalist, Castle (American TV shows).

**Cultural Notes:**

1. The Japanese school year starts in April and runs to March. So "beginning of sixth grade" is April of the sixth grade.  
2. Police First Division is homicide. Third Division is theft/robbery (as per the show, although Wikipedia says Organized Crimes).  
3. Japanese naming conventions say that it's polite to address people by their last name. First names usually signify familiarity between 2 people. For specifics as related to the fic, please refer to Appendix.

**Spoilers**: None if you know who Haibara Ai is.

**Characters (speaking or POV)**:

Edogawa Conan (29/30)  
Haibara Ai (22/30)  
Kojima Genta (10/30)  
Tsuburaya Mitsuhiko (9/30)  
Yoshida Ayumi (7/30)  
Mouri Ran (3/30)  
Agasa Hiroshi (2/30)  
Kudo Yukiko (2/30)  
Satou Miwako (1/30)

**Main Pairings**: Conan/Ai, mention of Conan/Ran, one-sided Conan/Ayumi

**Dedication: **For everyone who reviewed _Rainbow_. Thank you for your kind words. It's so amazing that even after all the years I've been on hiatus that people are still reading my stuff.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Consequences  
**Sep 1st: Virtue is its own punishment  
Word Count: 276

Conan has never really had what other people call a moral dilemma. He knows where he stands when it comes to his beliefs, and he's stubborn and prideful enough not to budge from them. Even when the going gets rough, or when a situation is particularly difficult, he finds that it's the "_how"_ of getting from point A to point B that is hard, not the "_what"_ is point B.

So when, for the first time in his life, he finds himself at a loss of what he even wants, he doesn't actually know where to start analyzing. On the one hand, Haibara is lying in his arms, bleeding from the bullet wound in her chest. On the other, Ran is in this building somewhere, held hostage by some unknown Organization member.

He knows help is coming, but he doesn't know how long it will take for them to get here, and if he leaves Haibara, who will put pressure on the wound while she waits? He has a feeling that if he leaves, he will never see her again.

"Kudo-kun," her voice is weak, hoarse from the pain. "Go. Go find her."

He looks down at her, eyes misty with confusion. "I...I don't know what to do," he confesses softly. "I don't know if I want..."

"I do," she interrupts. Her voice is stronger, and when he looks into her eyes, they are clear. "I know what I want. I want you to find Ran-san."

He swallows, and suddenly, he knows what he wants too. He also knows he will have to live with the consequences of his decision for the rest of his life.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Recovery**  
Sep. 2nd: A metaphor is like a smile  
Word Count: 455

Haibara's stay at the hospital is shorter than they thought it would be. She is released within a couple of weeks, although she is told she must stay in bed for awhile even when she gets home. Agasa takes care of her, but he starts noticing she seems particularly sad.

"Ai-kun," he says one day while bringing her soup. "Is everything alright?"

"Of course," she replies. "The Organization was taken down, and somehow, I'm still alive. How could things not be alright?"

Agasa is silent for a moment, but then he decides to tackle the subject headfirst. "About Shinichi," he begins.

He is interrupted by the sound of voices downstairs.

"Ai-chan! Hakase!"

"Haibara-san!"

"Hey, you guys! I told you to be quiet. She might be sleeping."

Ai looks at the professor in question, but he shrugs. Clearly, the visit from the overactive kids of the Shounen Tanteidan is not his idea. It only takes another 3 minutes before Conan peeks into the bedroom.

It is the first time she sees him since the takedown of the Organization.

"Hey," he smiles at her. "You're awake."

"Are the children downstairs?" Agasa asks, standing up.

"Yea," Conan nods. "Hey Hakase, do you mind if I..." He gestures to Ai and gives a helpless shrug, but Agasa understands.

"I'll be downstairs with the children then," he tells them.

The Professor leaves the room, and Conan waits until the door shuts firmly behind him before turning back to Ai.

"How is she?" It is Ai who speaks first, quiet and guilty.

"Ran will be fine," Conan responds, his eyes sad, but determined.

"Why?" Ai continues. "I told you to go. You should have gone. She might not have suffered so much if you had just gone."

"I know, but that's my fault, not yours," he says. "I did it because you needed me more than she did. Ran will live, but I knew that if I left you, I would never see you again."

"I don't really matter that much, do I?" she questions sardonically.

He reaches forward and grips her hands harshly, his eyes holding hers. "Don't. Ever. Say. That," he bites out. "You matter to me. You matter to Hakase, and to Ayumi and Genta and Mitsuhiko."

She lowers her eyes, unable to hold his intense gaze. "Thank you," she mutters softly.

He releases one of her hands and reaches forward to tilt her chin up. He can see some of the tears teetering on the edge of her eyelids. "So, are we okay?" he asks softly. "You're not going to have someone ban me from your room again?"

She smiles at him. Her smile is sunshine after a rainy day. "We're okay," she confirms.

He smiles back.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Slowly Flowing**  
Sep 3rd: Life is sexually transmitted  
Word Count: 228

Haibara is back in class about 4 weeks later. Mentally, she feels absolutely fine, and although Kobayashi-sensei is concerned about her falling behind after almost two months of being away, Haibara proves she knows the material by acing her next test. Of course, only Conan knows that even if she misses school for the next two _years_, she would still be fine. The rest of the class is suitably impressed.

Physically, however, she finds that she still tires easily. Her fatigue isn't the kind where she needs to sleep. She merely finds herself feeling limp, like all the energy has been drained out of her and she can't stand up.

She notices though, that she is rarely alone these days. Every time she looks up, one of the Shounen Tanteidan is close by, ready to assist her if she says something. She never does, but they are always there. The only person who dares touch her without her permission is, of course, Conan. He is unusually perceptive of her energy, always _knowing_ when she needs help. He would reach for her hand and squeeze it, like it might infuse some of his strength into her.

Haibara doesn't believe there is any scientific reasoning behind it, but sometimes, she _does_ feel like there is energy passing into her limbs, and she finds the strength to squeeze his hand back.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Maybe, Definitely**  
Sep 4th: My karma just ran over your dogma.  
Word Count: 396

"I don't want to turn back."

It comes out of the blue one day during the summer.

"Excuse me?" She isn't sure she heard him correctly.

"I know you heard me," he says. He drops his skateboard onto Agasa's living room floor.

"Why?" she gets straight to the point.

He sighs. "Because Edogawa Conan doesn't deserve Mouri Ran."

"I'm not sure I follow," she admits.

Absent-mindedly, he realizes she is taking him seriously without mocking him, and he is eternally grateful that she knows him well enough to understand that he needs her to take this one topic seriously.

"Kudo Shinichi truly and definitely belonged with Mouri Ran," he starts. "He's her hero; she's his princess. They're each other's number one choice. Edogawa Conan isn't her hero. He didn't choose Ran. Ran deserves someone who will always choose her."

"But Kudo Shinichi and Edogawa Conan are the same person," she points out.

He shakes his head. "Maybe physically," he concedes, "but Kudo Shinichi is an arrogant detective who thinks he can save everyone without sacrificing anything."

"Oh?" her lips slowly lift into a small smile. "And Edogawa Conan _isn't_ an arrogant detective who thinks he can save everyone?"

"Edogawa Conan _knows_ he can't save everyone," he admits quietly, his eyes dark with shadows.

Haibara knows that he is thinking of the condition he had found Ran in during the take down of the Black Organization. She also knows he has recurring nightmares about that night, as does she. She gets up from the couch and walks over to kneel down in front of him.

"It's not your fault, you know," she says.

"Not entirely, you mean," he sighs. "Look, that's just one reason. The data on the APTX-4869 was destroyed in the Black Organization headquarters. What if I tell Ran there's a cure, only to find out later there might not be one? That's a possibility, right?"

"That's a high probability," she admits quietly. "One doesn't always ensure there is an antidote to a lethal poison before making it into an untraceable murder weapon."

"So that's the second reason. I can't disappoint Ran again. I can't," he states firmly.

Haibara uncharacteristically reaches forward with both hands and cups his face, making him look at her. "Maybe," she agrees, "But you, Kudo-kun, deserve a happy ending."

"Maybe," he agrees. "But no one said this is the ending."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Life As You Know It**  
Sep 5th: This mess we're in is status quo.  
Word Count: 469

Conan doesn't realize it until his second time through third grade, but he is content with being Edogawa Conan, and he has been content for a long time.

There are some things he wouldn't mind changing, like how Ran believes Shinichi died during the Black Organization take down. He feels he owes it to her to explain, but he thinks she might just forgive him, and it would be harder to let her go if she does. He loves her enough to hope she finds someone who will always protect her, no matter what.

For the most part though, he likes his life as Conan. Conan's relationships with his classmates are better than Shinichi's were, with more friends than fans. Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko spice up his life with camping trips, treasure hunts, and board game parties at Agasa's. They defend him at school even if he doesn't need it, and he feels humbled by their unwavering loyalty in the face of their sometimes dangerous adventures.

And of course, there is Haibara. She is his constant companion these days. She discusses intellectual topics with him, covers him when he skips classes for cases, and even though he would never admit it, her rapid wit keeps his mind sharp.

"Conan-kun!" Ayumi's voice interrupts his thoughts.

He looks up to find that class has ended while he was musing about his life and everyone is packing up.

"Mitsuhiko-kun was telling us about this haunted house in Beika 4th District," Ayumi tells him.

Mitsuhiko nods and takes out his notebook to skim his notes. "Takehiro-sempai from the fifth grade was telling us that the last 3 owners of this house have died due to mysterious circumstances, and now their ghosts haunt the house, waiting for someone to solve the mystery," he reads.

"Sounds like a job for the Shounen Tanteidan!" Genta yells, pumping his fist into the air. "Let's go check it out!"

And with that, the three ran ahead, periodically turning to tell Conan and Haibara to hurry up.

Conan shakes his head as he falls into step beside the strawberry blonde. "Where do they even find these rumours?" he mutters quietly to her.

"Who knows?" she responds. "Besides, you were probably just as much trouble when you were eight years old the first time around."

He snorts. "No way. I was active, but I didn't go looking for trouble."

She raises her eyebrows at this, and a small smirk is playing at the corner of her mouth. He is scowling at her before she even says anything.

"Come on, slowpoke," she says as she speeds up her steps. "Isn't the Sherlock of the Heisei Era just a little curious about this supposed triple homicide?"

His scowl melts into a grin and he hurries to catch up. Yes, life is good.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Ulterior Motives**  
Sep 6th: Some strings, they're just not attached.  
Word Count: 483

Conan moves into the Kudo house later that year. With Ran consistently away for long study sessions due to university, he finds he ends up spending most evenings eating take-out and watching Okino Yoko specials with Kogorou, and frankly, his brain (and health) are slowly rotting away. His parents help him by making a big show of adopting him since "Conan-kun's parents were in a traffic accident" and "Shin-chan is gone". Ran agrees this is better for him and Kogorou makes no objection. And so, Conan moves.

The problem, he finds soon enough, is that he has gotten used to having company at home. The big Western mansion is too quiet. In addition, moving didn't solve his take-out problem. Cooking is not his forte, and he is in the middle of cleaning a burnt pan and wondering how to get the smell of smoke out of his kitchen when his cell phone rings.

"Hello?" he answers.

"Ah Shinichi," the professor's voice fills his ears. "Ai-kun wanted me to ask if you would like to come for dinner."

Conan blinks a few times at Haibara's sudden generosity. "Um...what are you having?" he asks cautiously.

"Fish stew, stir-fry tofu and vegetables, and some kind of chicken," Agasa answers.

Conan perks up and drops the half washed pan back into the sink. "I'll be right there."

Agasa's house smells heavenly when he opens the front door 5 minutes later. He feels like it has been months since he has had a nice home-cooked meal. As he approaches the kitchen in the centre of the large living area, he can see Haibara tasting the stew.

"Yo," he greets her. "Where's Hakase?"

"Cleaning junk off the dining table," she replies, turning to take bowls out of the cupboard.

He looks at her back and starts casually, "So...what's with the sudden generosity?"

Her hands are full of flatware when she turns to look at him. "You think I have ulterior motives for feeding you?" she asks, an amused look on her face.

"Don't you always?" he volleys back.

"Did _you_ have ulterior motives when you promised to always protect me?" she inquires.

He startles. Whatever he had expected, that wasn't it. "Of course not!" he protests. "You knew that."

"So why is it hard to believe someone else may not have ulterior motives when they offer you something?"

Her question leaves him a bit speechless because he doesn't have a good answer. He's just starting to believe her when he sees her familiar smirk start to form at the corner of her mouth. He sighs.

"What is it?"

She doesn't bother hiding her smirk as she walks closer to him. "Help set the table." And suddenly, he finds his hands full of bowls, and Haibara has returned to the stew without a backward glance.

He looks at the bowls in his hands and smiles. Well, that wasn't so bad.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Naming Conventions**  
Sep 7th: Life would be so much easier if everyone read the manual  
Word Count: 356

"Conan-kun," Ayumi startles him one day in the fifth grade when she sits down next to him in the grass instead of joining the other children playing in the field.

He looks up from his notebook, where he is fiddling with the latest Kaitou Kid riddle. "What's up, Ayumi-chan?"

"When did you start calling Ai-chan by her first name?" Ayumi asks curiously.

Conan gapes at her and is in the process of denying that claim when his brain kicks in and tells him that yes, he _has_ been calling Ai by her first name recently. Somewhere between discussing cases at crime scenes, dinners at Agasa's, and quiet evenings together in the Kudo household library, she has gone from being Haibara, sarcastic scientist who shares his unusual circumstances, to Ai, his best friend and confidante.

He looks genuinely confused when he answers Ayumi. "I have no idea," he admits.

She frowns at him and bites her bottom lip, like she is worried. Conan is wondering why Ayumi would be worried, of all things, when he is picked up unceremoniously off the ground by Genta and ushered away between him and Mitsuhiko.

"Oi!" he yells.

"Conan! We have a question," Genta starts once they are out of earshot.

"Why are _you_ allowed to call Haibara-san by her first name?" Mitsuhiko asks.

"I don't know," Conan replies with a sigh. "I guess one day, we switched over because we've been friends for so long."

"That can't be it," Mitsuhiko reasons. "She just told us we can't call her by her first name, and we've been friends for just as long."

"Isn't this a question you should be asking _her_?" Conan asks, exasperated.

"She's kind of scary," Genta admits sheepishly.

"Well, I don't know," Conan repeats his previous answer. "And her being scary doesn't help me give you an answer."

Genta and Mitsuhiko seem to consider his point, and Conan scowls at the fact that he is still being held like a football, tucked under Genta's left arm. Shouldn't there be rules against manhandling your friends?

"Genta," he states flatly. The bigger boy looks down at him. "Put me down."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Moving On**  
Sep 8th: Opportunity doesn't knock twice.  
Word Count: 300

In the summer of fifth grade, Ran calls Conan and asks if he wants to get ice-cream with her, for old time's sake. He readily agrees because he misses her company. Sure, he has great friends in Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko, and Ai is the trusted Watson to his Sherlock Holmes, but Ran is still different. Ran remembers the Shinichi he remembers, and as selfish as it is, he is glad someone misses the person he used to be.

So he is utterly taken by surprise when she tells him, "Ishida-san in Engineering asked me out yesterday."

Conan freezes and stares at her in shock. "What...what did you tell him?" he finally stutters.

"I said I'll let him know on Monday," Ran replies. "What do you think, Conan-kun?"

She is staring at him in an indescribable manner, as though she is waiting for him to bring up Shinichi, waiting for him to give her a reason not to give up on someone she has not seen nor heard from in years. He swallows thickly, but knows what he has to do.

"I think you should go," he answers quietly. "You wouldn't be considering it if he's a terrible person, right?"

She smiles at him, but her eyes are sad, defeated, and Conan suddenly feels so guilty that he can't stay here with her anymore.

"I have to go," he says abruptly. He stands up and starts to leave, but stops as a thought occurs to him. "Ran-nee-chan," he calls her name and she looks up at him. He knows his grin is a bit feral when he announces, "Tell Ishida-san that you know someone at home who is _very_ familiar with ways to murder people _and_ places to hide bodies."

Ran laughs, and Conan knows that everything will be alright.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Research, Show, and Tell**  
Sep 9th: The more sins you confess, the more books you will sell.  
Word Count: 324

He tells Ai about his summer conversation with Ran somewhere in the middle of sixth grade. He doesn't know why, but he suddenly remembers it in the middle of researching for their school project, and feels like she should know.

"You're an idiot," Ai tells him without preamble.

"What?!" Conan feels a bit offended.

"You should have told her the truth," she says.

Conan sighs. They have been through this conversation dozens of times. Ai consistently tells him he should go back to Ran, and he consistently argues that he doesn't deserve it. Nor does Ran, he also frequently points out. Once upon a time, he often thinks ironically, Ai would have been the one who insisted he doesn't say anything, but he supposes their reasons are different.

"Don't you think you've atoned enough for whatever crime you think you've committed against her?" Ai tries again.

"Come now, Ai," he teases, deciding he doesn't want to go over this again, "you would miss me if I was gone."

He ducks quickly, almost getting hit by the pen she has thrown at him. He smiles at her scowl. "Seriously, I'm okay," he assures her. "I think I'll always love Ran, but it's for that reason that I let her go. I made a choice at the beginning, and it is just unfair to go back on it five years later. To everybody."

Ai looks thoughtfully at him. "You really have grown up," she comments softly. "Kudo Shinichi never would have been that mature."

He grins as he waves around the file he has pulled off the bookshelf. "Only in some regards," he admits. "Are you sure we can't just use primary sources for this project?"

She rolls her eyes. "I can't believe we actually manage to _randomly _draw 'Modern Day Detectives' for this project," she mutters.

He continues to grin widely at her. "You think Hattori will agree to come in as our audio-visual aid?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

**The End of an Era**  
Sep 10th: It's a small world, but I wouldn't want to paint it.  
Word Count: 485

Graduation falls on a beautifully sunny day with the weather just warm enough to be comfortable. Conan stands in the hall with Genta and Mitsuhiko as they wait for the girls to come back from the washroom. He looks at the sixth graders milling about, socializing as elementary school students for the last time. In a few short weeks, they will be junior high school students. This world that has given both he and Ai second chances, that has protected all these children from the harsh realities of the outside, will see them off for the last time today.

When the girls come back, Ayumi is wearing eyeshadow as well as pretty pink lip gloss. Ai doesn`t look like she is wearing any make-up, but upon closer inspection, Conan sees that there is some mascara on her eyelashes.

"You look beautiful, Ayumi-chan!" Genta exclaims.

"Haibara-san, too!" Mitsuhiko adds.

"Thanks!" Ayumi beams. "What do you think, Conan-kun?"

"Huh?" Conan responds unintelligently. "Um...I'm sure it'll be really nice for the pictures."

Ayumi looks a little disappointed at his lack of a direct compliment, but Ai hurries them along to the outdoor field, saying they will be late.

After the ceremony, Agasa gathers the five of them under a cherry blossom tree at the side of the school for a group picture. There are pictures of all of them, each of them with their parents (Yuusaku and Yukiko have shown up to celebrate their son's second elementary school graduation), each of them with Agasa, then other classmates they have helped through the years come by for pictures. By the time the cameras stop, Conan thinks his face is permanently frozen in a smile.

"Conan-kun," Ayumi calls him shyly. "Can we take a picture?"

"Sure," he agrees, even though his face is starting to feel sore.

Ayumi pulls him over, and he looks at the Yoshida family's camera. Just as the camera goes off, he feels Ayumi's lips press against his cheek.

"Conan!" Genta yells.

"Conan-kun!" Mitsuhiko chimes in.

Conan waves his hands wildly in front of him. "Uh, it's not...I didn't..." he stammers. "I have to go!"

He grabs Ai's arm in one hand and his mom's in the other and hurries them out the front yard to the car his family, the professor, and Ai had arrived in. Only when they are out of sight and earshot does he breathe a sigh of relief.

"Shin-chan~" Yukiko throws her arms around him. "Aren't you popular with the girls?" she teases him.

"Oh, he's a regular Romeo alright," Ai deadpans, a smirk on her face.

Conan pushes his mom off and scowls at Ai. "Shut up," he grumbles.

She shrugs. "By the way, there are napkins in the glove compartment."

Conan raises his eyebrows at her. "And you think I need to know this why?" he asks flatly.

"Because," Ai replies flippantly, "you're wearing _way_ too much lip gloss."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Broken**  
Sep 11th: I have often regretted my speech, never my silence.  
Word Count: 390

Ayumi confesses her feelings for him three months after they become junior high school students. It isn't that he didn't already know, it's that he never thought she would actually say anything. He remembers stammering and apologizing, and somewhere in there, he manages to string together the fact that he doesn't feel like that towards her, and that he's extremely sorry.

Ayumi cries, runs away, and doesn't come to school the next day.

Genta and Mitsuhiko figure out what happened and yell at him for hurting Ayumi, then proceed to stop talking to him, which actually isn't that hard because they are in Class B, and he is in Class A.

As for Ai, she tells him, "I won't forgive you for breaking Ayumi-chan's heart." She stops making his share of lunch, and he feels the chill in the air when he comes to the Professor's house for dinner.

Summer comes two weeks later, and Agasa tells him over the quiet dinner that he and Ai will be in Hokkaido for a month to help an old friend with research. Conan wants to ask if he can go too, but seeing Ai's chilly demeanour, keeps his mouth shut.

That summer is one of loneliest he has ever spent. He drops by the police headquarters in the mornings, and if there is nothing going on, he heads over to the park with his soccer ball to kick it around. He plays a few games with strangers, but it's not the same. They don't _know_ him like his friends did. Once, he sees the three of them while he is kicking his ball around, but Genta and Mitsuhiko grab Ayumi and they practically run out of there before he can catch up.

Despite that, it is the evenings that he feels the worst. He sometimes attempts to cook, but mostly orders takeout. Agasa's house is too quiet without the usual hustle and bustle of the old professor, and he feels eerily lonely in his own house without Ai's company.

Conan finds that he misses Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi's friendship. He misses Agasa's lame jokes. He misses Ai's companionship, her home cooked meals, and his heated debates with her. He misses her smiles at him when he solves cases and even the way she mocks him.

The month couldn't be over fast enough.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Encounters**  
Sep 12th:Chances are 50-50  
Word Count:496

Conan is on his way home when he sees police cars in front of a local convenience store. Curious, he makes his way inside and finds the clerk engaged in a yelling match with none other than Genta, while two police officers are trying to calm them down.

"I told you!" Genta is yelling, "I didn't take the money! I came in here to buy a soda, and then this guy starts screaming that I took the money in the cash register!"

"You're the only person here!" the young clerk replies. "I put some cash on the counter, and turn around to grab him the ice-cream cone he ordered, and when I looked again, the cash was gone!"

Conan looks at the cash register. Currently, everyone is standing in front of it, but there is a glass pane separating the clerk from the customer. A small hole is cut at the bottom of the pane to hand over items. Since there are no security cameras, this is likely the store's form of security.

"It's the clerk's word against Kojima-kun's," one officer is saying. "Even if we find the cash in the store, it doesn't prove he didn't originally take it."

Conan walks around the counter and taps on the pane now separating him and everyone else. "Hey," he calls out to the clerk. "You said that Kojima-kun reached into this hole and took the cash?"

"Y-Yeah," the clerk stammers.

"Kojima-kun, can you stick your hand through this hole here?" Conan continues.

Genta frowns, but cautiously slips his open hand through the hole in the pane. Conan grabs a pack of cigarettes from the shelf behind him and puts it next to Genta's hand.

"Try to take it," he instructs.

Genta swallows, but obediently grabs the pack of cigarettes and tries to remove his hand. "Eh?" he exclaims when his now closed fist gets stuck. He pulls harder, but it is clear that there is no way he could have taken the money like the clerk claimed. Conan shrugs and walks back around the counter.

"Kojima-kun is too large to steal money through a hole like that," Conan concludes. "Even less so if the clerk only turned around for a moment."

Both officers agree that Genta could not have done it. Conan sticks his hands into his pockets and leaves the store.

"Conan!" Genta's voice stops him a couple of stores down the street. "Wait! Conan!"

He turns around and waits for Genta. "Hey," he greets the larger boy.

"Hey," Genta replies, shuffling nervously. "Um...thanks."

"It was nothing." There is silence between the two who haven't spoken in about two months.

"Do you want to come to my house for dinner?" Genta blurts out suddenly. "Y-You didn't have to help me after I was kind of...mean...to you."

"I really didn't mean to hurt Yoshida-san," Conan explains.

"Yea, I know." Genta mutters.

Conan smiles, "Thanks, Kojima-kun."

"It's Genta," the boy replies with a grin. "It's always been Genta."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**That's What She Thinks  
**Sep 13th: Some poems rhyme  
Word Count: 428

Conan visits Agasa's house when the professor returns from Hokkaido. He finds the professor has gone out to run some errands, but Ai is in the living room, reading a chemistry textbook. She gives him the cold shoulder, but gestures in the general direction of the coffee table. There is a copy of the newest book in the mystery series he is following. The book shouldn't be out for another week.

"Wow," he says and flips it open. On the side cover is a signature. "To Edogawa Conan-kun," it reads, "May you always solve the murder before the last page."

"He was staying at the same village as us in Hokkaido," Ai tells him, not looking up from her book. "Something about research for his books."

Conan grins, "Thanks for getting this, Ai."

She shrugs. "It was the professor," she claims.

His smile almost drops, then he remembers something and walks over to her, pushing the book down so she will look at him. "Liar," he states softly. "I never told Agasa-hakase I was reading this series, just you."

She stiffens.

"Besides," he continues, "You're hiding behind this textbook and reading the first book in the series."

She grunts and puts down both books.

"You're still mad at me about telling Ayumi I don't like her like that?" he asks, obviously saddened that she hasn't forgiven him yet.

Ai sighs. "Don't be ridiculous," she scolds. "Of course I knew you were going to say no. I would think you're a sick little pervert if you said okay. You're ten years older than her, for crying out loud."

"What? Then why did you give me the cold shoulder for months?" he asks.

"You're an idiot," she scowls. "I'm mad that you didn't do anything to make it better. You didn't check on Ayumi-chan. You didn't try to reason with Kojima-kun and Tsuburaya-kun. You didn't even try to make things better with me, and I thought you definitely knew I knew you would say no."

"You told me you weren't going to forgive me!" he reminds her.

"I also told you Agasa-hakase was no longer in this world the first time I met you," she replies dryly.

Conan suddenly feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulder. He reaches forward and pulls Ai into his arms, hugging her tightly to his chest. "I missed you," he murmurs into her hair.

"Me or my cooking?" she asks, her voice muffled against his shoulder.

"Both," he admits candidly. This is two out of four, he thought. Things are looking up.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Reconnect the Dots**  
Sep 14th: Hindsight is an exact science.  
Word Count: 398

Three days before the end of summer break, Conan is returning from a grocery errand for Ai when he finds Genta and Mitsuhiko in front of the professor's house, seemingly arguing about something. As he approaches, he can hear snippets of conversation.

"…Ayumi-chan!"

"But he helped me!"

"Hey," he interrupts the two boys. He notices that over the break, both of them had experienced growth spurts. Genta has lost some of the weight around his stomach even though he is still bulky, and Mitsuhiko is at least two inches taller than him even though they had been about the same height before the break.

"Conan," Genta smiles, "I brought Mitsuhiko to apologize."

"I'm not apologizing!" Mitsuhiko exclaims. "He hurt Ayumi-chan."

Conan sighs and walks past them through the gate. "You guys want to discuss this inside?" he asks. "I think Ai is making lunch." He opens the front door and yells into the house. "Ai, we have guests!"

"Okaeri nasai," Ai greets him when she walks into the foyer.

"Tadaima," he replies with a smile and hands her the groceries.

She inspects the contents of the bag with a nod, then looks up at the other two boys. "Kojima-kun, Tsuburaya-kun," she says, "Conan-kun hadn't mentioned you were on speaking terms again."

"He helped me out when the convenience store guy accused me of stealing," Genta supplies with a grin. "I brought Mitsuhiko to apologize for being a jerk over the summer!"

"I'm not apologizing!" Mitsuhiko repeats. "He hurt Ayumi-chan and never checked on her!"

Ai gives Conan a pointed look, and he looks back at her sheepishly. "I meant to call her. I really should have earlier but I forgot when that case with the body falling out of the sky came up."

"Case?" Genta and Mitsuhiko both interrupt suddenly. "You went and solved _another_ case without us?"

Conan gives them a deadpan look. "You guys kind of haven't been talking to me all summer."

"You should still have told us about the case!" Genta insists.

"What other ones have you been solving without us?" Mitsuhiko chimes in.

Conan glances at Ai with an _are-you-kidding-me_ look on his face, but her response is a small smile and a shrug. She turns around to get some tea and biscuits ready from the kitchen, knowing the ice has been broken and the three boys should be fine in no time.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Complex Impressions**  
Sep 15th: Eschew obfuscation  
Word count: 422

Conan and Ayumi are friends again by the time school restarts in the fall. It seems she had forgiven him awhile ago but couldn't bring herself to approach him first...again. Things are not the same as they were before, especially for Ayumi, but at least they are much better than over the summer.

To celebrate, Agasa suggests going camping together before it gets too cold. The group agrees enthusiastically. And that is how they found themselves unpacking camping gear from a rental van (since they no longer all fit into Agasa's Beetle) and gathering firewood that day in September. They set up the tents with the efficiency of friends who have camped together since they were seven years old, and soon, the boys are chopping up wood while the girls make dinner. Agasa heads to the car to grab something he left behind, and Genta and Mitsuhiko take this chance to corner Conan.

"Oi, Conan," Genta starts first.

Conan looks up from the piece of wood he was attempting to chop. Key word is "attempting".

"Are you _living_ with Haibara-san?" Mitsuhiko asks.

Conan's eyes widen and he almost drops the hatchet onto his foot. "What?!" He waves his hands wildly and splutters.

The girls hurry over frantically. "What's wrong?" Ayumi questions.

Conan is still gawking at Mitsuhiko, so Genta takes the liberty to repeat the question. "Haibara, are you living with Conan?"

Ai's left eye twitches and she crosses her arms. "No," she deadpans. "Why?"

"You said 'okaeri' to him when we came over with him," Genta reminds her.

"And all his shoes were in the foyer, and you guys talk about dinner and groceries and running errands together," Mitsuhiko adds.

Ai frowns. "We run errands together because while Edogawa-kun may be excellent at deductions and plays soccer like a J-league star, he literally sucks at everything else."

"Hey! That's a little harsh!" Conan protests.

"The last time Edogawa-kun collected the mail for us, he gave Hakase the flyers and threw the rest into the garbage bin," Ai tells them.

"Only because I was thinking about the dead lawyer case," Conan reminds her. "And what's with calling me by my last name again?"

"Stop leaving all your stuff at Hakase's house and giving people the wrong idea," she scowls.

"But I spend a lot of my time there!" Conan argues. "What's the point of taking things home just to bring them back?"

Genta exchanges wide-eyed looks with Ayumi and Mitsuhiko. "Ne," he whispers. "Don't you think they argue like a married couple?"

-o-o-o-o-o-

**One, Two, Her Eyes so Blue**  
Sep 16th: Please wait until I become a better man  
Word count: 492

On the first day of winter break, Conan meets Ran for lunch at a cafe in Haido City. He fully expected Ishida Keichi-san to show up again. The few meetings Conan had with Ishida had been pleasant. While he would never be Ishida's number one fan, it was obvious Ishida worships the ground Ran walks on, and that is everything Conan could ask for in a boyfriend for Ran. When he walks into the cafe though, Ran is alone, and to Conan's detective eyes, appears to be quite melancholy.

"Ran-nee-chan," he greets her as he sits down across from her. "Is everything okay?"

"Ah, Conan-kun," she forces a smile on her face. "How is your first year of junior high?"

But Conan knows a deflect strategy when he sees one. He recognizes the signs after everything he had been through with Ayumi earlier that year. So instead of playing along, he asks flatly, "where's Keichi-nii-san?"

Ran blinks, and an exasperated smile replaces her forcefully cheerful one. "Of course, I never could fool you, could I?" she answers.

"Did he leave you?" he asks, even though he finds that hard to believe.

"No," Ran answers. "I left. I..."

"...miss Shinichi-nii-chan," Conan completes her sentence.

"Yes," Ran admits. "Keichi-kun was great, but he wasn't Shinichi. And it's not fair for Keichi-kun to be in half a relationship. Conan-kun, do you think Shinichi could still be alive?"

Conan swallows. He looks at Ran, who is tragically beautiful with unshed tears in the corner of her dark blue eyes. He feels a swell of protectiveness in his chest, but it is not the same as what he was once familiar with. He frowns a little as he looks down at his plate, trying to figure out what is going on. The feeling is similar to what he feels for Ayumi, but stronger, and he knows he is not in love with Ayumi. He files that away for later and raises his gaze to his former love.

"I think that even if Shinichi-nii-chan is alive, he wouldn't be the same person you remember," Conan finally answers.

Ran looks even sadder at this piece of truth. "You know, I always thought even if not now, someday, it will be Shinichi who is with me," she confesses.

"Maybe," Conan agrees, "but each person has to give themselves a chance to grow individually. Their paths may converge again at some point, or they may never converge. The important thing is to be happy with who you are as a person. The person who sticks by you won't always be the person you envisioned, but aren't unpredictable happy endings just as good as predictable ones?"

This time, when Ran smiles, it is genuine, and their lunch continues into more light-hearted topics. However, Conan fervently hopes that this is the last girl he cares deeply about whose heart he will have to break. He doesn't think he can shoulder any more guilt.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Mom Knows Best**  
Sep 17th: You can't fool mom.  
Word Count: 443

Ai has always had a soft spot for Christmas. She told Conan the first time he spent Christmas with her and Agasa that it stemmed from her sister's love of cooking extravagant meals around that time. It was the only holiday the Black Organization allowed its members off every year, so Akemi always went all out with food, presents, and decorations, and it is one of Ai's fondest childhood and teenaged memories. Now, years after Akemi's death, Ai continues the tradition by ensuring there is a giant Christmas tree at Agasa's and a hearty meal on Christmas Eve. Agasa and Conan are both big fans of the Christmas Eve meal.

This year, Conan's parents have decided to stay in Tokyo for Christmas, and consequently, are invited to Ai's Christmas Eve dinner. They arrive at Agasa's as the turkey is coming out of the oven. Yuusaku agrees to take a look at Agasa's latest creation, but Yukiko is more interested in what her son has been doing all day, since she knows for a fact that he can't cook to save his life. She peeks into the kitchen to find him holding the turkey while Ai checks to make sure it's cooked.

Once she is satisfied, Ai motions for him to put it down on the counter and hands him a knife. Yukiko stifles a giggle when her son looks confused, and Ai rolls her eyes and snatches the knife back.

"How is it that you know the _Latin_ names for every fowl bird on this planet but can barely fry an egg?" she asks.

"Because cooking doesn't make sense!" Conan complains. "Mathematical theory says that two positives should be a positive! Life says that two good things are generally positive. Cooking says that eggs, which taste good, and ice-cream, which taste good, _don't_ taste good together!"

Ai shakes her head at him and bumps him a little to get him out of the way so she can cut the turkey. "Never let me find you cooking in my kitchen," she states flatly.

"I'm not disagreeing," Conan replies, looking around at the variety of food laid out on the counter.

Ai reaches out to slap his arm without looking up. "And stop stealing the stuffing," she scolds.

Yukiko giggles again and decides to make her presence known. "Shin-chan~" she calls out and grabs her son in an enthusiastic hug.

"Arg, Kaa-san," Conan grumbles.

"Ai-chan~" Yukiko greets. "Would you like some help?"

"I'm almost done," Ai assures her. "But maybe you can get Conan-kun out of the way, Yukiko-onee-san. We don't want anyone getting food poisoning on Christmas."

Yukiko grins. Oh, she likes this one.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Peace Offering**  
Sep 18th: We, the unwilling.  
Word Count: 491

Conan has never before realized what a pain Valentine's Day is. Since Kudo Shinichi did not become a famous detective until his high school years, Valentine's Day had been a fairly simple affair of chocolates from Ran and some fans. As Edogawa Conan though, he has helped a lot of fellow classmates as a member of the Shounen Tanteidan. So on this Valentine's Day, he finds himself being randomly stopped by girls, some he couldn't even remember meeting, to either give him chocolates, or to confess.

He takes both with a general lack of grace.

There is usually a thank-you, a lot of spluttering, and sometimes an apology, but he does eventually get across that yes, he appreciates the chocolates, but no, he's not interested in dating.

By the time that classes are over, there is a small mountain of chocolates on the floor around his desk. He looks at Ai, who has not handed out any chocolates.

"Um...hey, I have a favour to ask," he starts.

She looks at the mountain at the foot of his desk and smirks, "You sure lack foresight. You'd better not bring those over. Hakase doesn't need any more chocolate."

"Actually," Conan admits, "I was hoping you'd help me bring them to maybe an orphanage."

Before Ai can answer, Genta and Mitsuhiko hurry into Class 1-A, followed by a slower Ayumi.

"Conan, look at the chocolates I..." Genta trails off when he sees the stash surrounding Conan, and he looks down at the 5 or so chocolates in his arms. "Why is Conan always the one getting all the credit?"

"Honestly," Conan answers flatly, "you can have whatever you like in the pile, Genta. I just asked Ai to donate them somewhere for me."

"Conan-kun," Ayumi frowns, "I don't think that's the right way to treat girls' feelings."

Conan sighs. "I can't eat all of this, Ayumi-chan. And in lieu of choosing some over others, since I turned them _all_ down, I'm going to give _all_ of it away."

Ayumi is fidgeting with her backpack, which leads Conan to give her an inquiring look. "Is everything alright, Ayumi-chan?"

Instead of answering, Ayumi shifts her eyes to Ai, who smiles at her and nods encouragingly. Ayumi nervously brings out a pretty pink box, which she hands to Conan. The boy notices that it matches one of the boxes in Genta's arms.

"Um...Happy Valentine's Day, Conan-kun," she says quietly. "I...I guess you can donate that one too."

Conan slowly smiles and takes the proffered box from Ayumi. "Thanks, Ayumi-chan," he replies. "But this one, I think I'll keep."

Ayumi looks up at him with wide disbelieving eyes, but he shrugs nonchalantly. "Hey, just because I don't want to date, doesn't mean you're not still one of my best friends," he explains with a smile. "This one means something."

Ayumi beams at him, and he knows Ai's genuine smile means that she approves of his actions as well.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**The First Time**  
Sep 19th: Led by the unknowing.  
Word Count: 176

The stray thought catches him off-guard that day in the park. He is sitting on a picnic table with Ai, waiting for their other three friends. He looks over at Ai, who is reading a mystery novel he has recently recommended. She is wearing a pleated plaid skirt with a light sweatshirt and loose scarf. The warm afternoon sun shines on her hair, causing glints of golden highlights. The blooming cherry blossoms behind her gives the whole picture an ethereal feeling, and Conan realizes for one of the first time that Ai is absolutely beautiful.

On impulse, he puts an arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer, kissing her softly on her cheek.

Ai startles, looking up at him with confusion in her eyes. "What was that for?" she asks, bewildered.

"I have no idea," he admits sheepishly.

She raises an eyebrow. "In that case..." she says dryly, grabbing his hand off her shoulder and pinching it hard.

"Ouch!" he cries, taking his hand back and rubbing it. "You really are not cute at all!"

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Atonement**  
Sep 20th: Doing the impossible for the ungrateful.  
Word Count: 401

For Conan's 14th birthday, Ai tells him she wants to give him his present before the party with the Shounen Tanteidan. He feels partly excited and partly bewildered, because he doesn't know what kind of present would need to be given in private. His face is a bit flushed when he walks into the professor's living room that morning.

Ai, he notices, is looking as pretty as ever in a turquoise ruffled blouse and white summer skirt. She puts her magazine aside when she sees him, and he smiles as he takes a seat beside her.

"Yo," he greets her. "So, what's the secret present?"

Without meeting his eyes, she hands him a small black box, perfectly square and no bigger than the palm of her hand. He looks at her, a bit confused, until he opens the box and finds a single red and white pill inside.

He takes a sharp breath. "This is..."

"The permanent antidote to the APTX-4869," she finishes. "I won't promise no side effects, but the mice I tested it on haven't turned back in 6 months."

"But I thought I told you to stop working on it," he whispers.

"You told me you were afraid there was no antidote and you didn't want to disappoint the people around you by claiming there is," she corrects.

She finally meets his eyes. They are clear, just like the time she almost died in his arms but was still convinced that he should leave her to look for Ran. He knows that she is sure he will leave her now that she has found the cure he has always wanted. He looks at the pill, but finds no particular desire for it. He realizes he hasn't thought about being Shinichi in a long time, and he surprisingly doesn't miss it all that much.

He quietly sets the box on the coffee table, then grabs Ai and pulls her into his arms, holding her tightly.

"Idiot," he admonishes gently.

He feels her push against his chest, and looks down to see her glaring up at him. "Ungrateful jerk," she mutters.

He grins at her. "Thank you for the present. But I think I want to stick around," he tells her. "Besides, it's easier to protect you this way. I promised you, right?"

It is her turn to breathe in sharply. She nods silently.

"So I will," he promises. "Always."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Diversity**  
Sep 21st: We are now qualified to do anything with nothing.  
Word Count: 454

The Shounen Tanteidan breaks up in the spring of the second year in junior high. It isn't because they aren't all still friends, but it has become increasingly obvious that this is not something they could do forever. Conan will always be the best at deductions, and Ai will always be the one he trusts the most – his lovely partner. Genta will never be discreet enough, Ayumi never physically strong enough, and Mitsuhiko has much more potential than following Conan around and scribbling notes down.

The group decides this over drinks at a cafe, and are all a bit saddened by the decision.

"What am I going to do now?" Genta wonders, looking a bit lost.

Everyone looks at him, but it is Ai who speaks up. "Whatever you want, Kojima-kun," she tells him determinedly. "Join a school club you've always wanted to."

"It isn't that we can't all hang out together," Conan adds, "or go on a treasure hunt when we go camping in the summer. Just because we're no longer a detective club doesn't mean we're not still best friends."

"We should each join a school club we want to join this year!" Ayumi suggests enthusiastically.

"Soccer club," both Conan and Genta say at the same time.

Ayumi laughs. "We'll definitely all come watch your games!"

"I think I might join the computer club," Mitsuhiko admits shyly.

"That's a good idea," Conan compliments. "You've always been good with them."

Mitsuhiko grins, happy that Conan has recognized his skills.

"I might join the volleyball club," Ayumi tells them. "You guys remember Sakura-san in our class right? She asked me to tryout."

"That's great, Ayumi-chan. We'll definitely come watch your games too," Conan says. "How about you, Ai?"

"I don't know yet," she shrugs.

"How about managing the soccer club?" Conan suggests.

"So I can spend even _more_ time with you?" Ai raises her eyebrows.

"Hey, I like to think I'm great company!" Conan insists.

Ai rolls her eyes. "It's a good thing your ego isn't tangible, huh? You and your ego would never fit in the same room."

"It's not an ego; it's confidence!" Conan argues. "Confidence is a good thing!"

"Tomato, to-_mah_-to," Ai shrugs again.

"I hate you," Conan grumbles.

"Only until meal times, apparently," Ai mocks him.

Ayumi giggles, and the argument is shelved while talk returns to their newest school year. They are in the same class again this year, and looking forward to it tremendously. Ai invites them all over for dinner and Conan takes charge planning their next camping trip. Despite the detective club no longer existing, Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko feel as though the distance between them and their two friends is now closer than ever before.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**The Truth Is**  
Sep 22nd: Just lie on your back and float.  
Word Count: 441

Conan receives a wedding invitation in the mail in the fall of his second year in junior high. The invitation is tasteful and elegant, and he is not the least bit surprised that Ishida has asked Ran to marry him. Conan finds that while he is not heartbroken, he feels melancholy. He opens the invitation card and finds a note inside.

"_As always, you were right,_" it reads."_Once I allowed myself to heal and grow, I found that 'unexpected' was quite pleasant_. _Thank you for always being there for me. I will always be grateful to have had you with me in those difficult years. I hope that someday, you will also find your unexpected happy ending, Shinichi. Love always, Ran_."

Conan stares at the note with wide eyes. His body moves on automatic, and somehow, he finds himself in Agasa's living room, a cup of tea in his hands while Ai reads the note.

"She had always known," he whispers once Ai puts the note down.

"Or at least suspected very strongly," Ai replies softly. "So, what will you do now?"

"What do you mean?" Conan frowns.

"You stayed away because you thought your princess couldn't handle the truth, no?" Ai points out. "But it seems like she had always known, and waited for a very long time. Do you not want to tell her the truth about your feelings?"

Conan is thoughtful before he answers. "You know, I thought about that a little while ago. The truth is that I think of Ran like a very beloved sister."

Ai looks sceptical. "You know the cards are all in place, right?" she asks. "There is an antidote, and Ran-san knows the better part of the truth already. If you want your old life back..."

"I think that would be unwise," Conan admits. "I would be missing about 7 years of life if I turn back, assuming it works, and also erasing 7 years of memories with you, and the kids. Both of those things kind of suck."

"I'm sorry," Ai whispers. "I'm sorry the antidote took so long."

Conan shakes his head. "Don't be," he insists. "We've been over this already. Ran is happy now; I'm happy now. You don't owe us anything anymore. Besides, humans shouldn't be able to control time. The two of us were forgiven once; I think twice might be pushing it."

"So what will you do now?" Ai asks again.

"I have no idea," Conan confesses. "I guess we'll play it by ear. See what comes our way and go with it. You're still my partner in this, right?"

Ai smiles at him. "Always, Meitantei-san."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**No Good Answers**  
Sep 23rd: Rhetorical questions.  
Word Count: 256

For about a week before the soccer team tryouts, Genta comes to the Kudo house every day to practice with Conan. Conan makes the team with little effort, but it is the fact that Genta makes the team's goalie that has him feeling particularly proud.

Mitsuhiko and the computer club enter a regional contest and come back with a second place finish. Conan congratulates him enthusiastically and along with Ai, Genta, and Ayumi, take him out to celebrate.

So, it is no surprise that Conan and Ai are now gathered in the bleachers, ready to cheer Ayumi on in her first volleyball match. They have arrived early to get good seats, and have just gotten a message from Genta and Mitsuhiko that they are running late.

Ai sighs. "Sometimes, I feel like a parent with them," she admits.

Conan grins. "If those three are our kids, I'd say we did pretty well. I feel like I'm ready to take on a real one."

"Hmm..." Ai murmurs with a smirk. She places her face close to his. "So you want a kid with me?"

"Huh?" Conan blushes bright red, suddenly realizing what he had just said. "I um...I'm joking. Of course not!"

"Ah, so you don't find me attractive enough for that?" Ai replies, feigning hurt.

"No!" Conan protests immediately. "You are! I mean, I would! No, wait, I mean not right now. We...err..."

She laughs and places her hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up. "Relax. I'm joking, _darling_," she mocks him. "So stop digging."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Realizations**  
Sep 24th: Choose your own form of misery.  
Word Count: 359

Conan is starting to think that his non-mystery-related revelations have a way of coming out of nowhere and hitting him in the face like a two-by-four. He is sitting in Agasa's kitchen, waiting for the professor to make ramen for them.

Because Ai is out.

On a date.

With the soccer team's centre back defender.

And she never told him about it.

Agasa is the one who reveals this to him when he comes by for dinner, and he has been sitting in the kitchen since. Logically, he understands that it is not unusual. Ai has grown into a very beautiful teenager, with curves in all the right places and a quiet grace that makes her movements almost mesmerizing to watch. She is the smartest student in their grade (other than Conan himself) and exudes a mysterious air around her that most of their classmates find fascinating. Since she is always reading in the bleachers at his soccer practices, he is not surprised that someone on his team has noticed her.

But the instinctual male portion of his brain fights back. Ai is _his_ – his partner, his confidante, his best friend. Ai is the person he talks to about crime scenes and causes of death. She is the one he debates with about any and all topics, the one who brings him dinner because he is sick, and the one who he relies on to bring him back up when he has recklessly gone into a dangerous situation again. He is the person who gives her strength when she is scared. He is hers to tease mercilessly and she is his to protect. She is also his to recommend books to, his to make laugh, and his to hold close.

Conan startles as a very, very logical conclusion comes to him. And he knows it is right because the feelings he has for Ai, although different than what he felt for Ran, agree loudly with his deduction.

He excuses himself to Agasa and goes home, because he can't be there knowing she is out with another guy. He, Edogawa Conan, is deeply and inexplicably in love with Haibara Ai.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Observations**  
Sep 25th: I no longer know how to use my telephone.  
Word Count: 440

Despite his internal cries of outrage, Conan doesn't interfere with Ai's relationship with Natsubori Takuto. Natsubori makes Ai smile, whether it is with outrageous pranks on his friends or small acts of affection, and Conan tells himself that is enough. While it hurts to see them together at school, Conan takes his own advice and tries to grow as an individual.

He and Genta sometimes go out with the midfielders on the soccer team. He spends guy time with Genta and Mitsuhiko. He convinces Agasa to sign up for a cooking class with him and learns not to make a kitchen explode, even though he will never be nearly as proficient a cook as Ai is. He answers calls from Megure, Takagi, and Satou, and goes to crimes scenes without Ai.

He has a phantom limb problem when it comes to the last one though. He finds himself on the verge of calling Ai whenever he hangs up with the police department. At the scenes themselves, he turns to talk to her only to realize she is not there.

The group of detectives notice, of course, but it is Satou who finally calls him out on it.

"Conan-kun," she addresses him one day as they are wrapping up at the crime scene. "Where's the girl who's always with you? Did you guys have a fight?"

He wishes. Fighting would be more short-term. "No, she has a boyfriend now," he answers truthfully. "I think maybe she doesn't want to always come with me anymore."

"Really?" Satou sounds genuinely surprised.

"What do you mean?" Conan asks, furrowing his brows. "It's normal, right?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Satou agrees. "We just always thought the two of you would end up together."

Now Conan is curious. "How come?"

Satou shrugs. "The two of you always seem so... in sync. You always seem to know what each other wants before you say it. You argue at crime scenes, but in the end, she's always the one who calls the squad for you. You seem to trust her over anyone else, and she believes in you when no one else will."

"That...is very observant of you," Conan replies, a bit surprised.

"We're detectives too, you know," Satou points out. "By the way, you should tell her you're in love with her."

"W-What?" Conan stammers.

Satou snorts. "Please. I'm sure everyone and their pet fish knows. Do me a favour though. Tell her before the two of you graduate from junior high. I have money riding on you getting together before high school."

And with a jaunty wave, she leaves Conan staring after her in wide-eyed disbelief.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Genta's Insight**  
Sep 26th: There's no future in time travel.  
Word Count: 451

Mitsuhiko, Genta, Ayumi, Ai, and Conan have game nights at the Kudo house once a month. Because the detective club no longer exists, they have made the extra effort to spent time together outside of school. Game night is another thing they do to maintain their bond.

This particular night, however, only the boys are there. Ai is away with the professor and Ayumi is at an overnight volleyball camp. However, the three boys make the best of it, ordering take-out and trying out the newest game Agasa left with Conan.

As they are finishing dinner, Genta suddenly asks, "Hey, if you guys could go back in time and change something, what would it be?"

Conan sardonically wonders if Genta wants the answer alphabetically, chronologically, or in order of significance.

"What would you change, Genta?" he deflects instead.

"Sometimes, I wish I could stop us from breaking up the detective group," Genta admits. "Some of my favourite memories are with everyone – going treasure hunting and solving cases. If we hadn't broken it up, maybe we'd still always be together."

"We all need a chance to grow up on our own, Genta," Conan explains softly. "Who knows? If you still want to be a detective five years from now, maybe we'll be a team on the police force someday."

Genta grins. "What about you guys?"

"Um..." Mitsuhiko stammers. "Sometimes I wish I could go back and...and ask Haibara-san out before Natsubori did."

Conan stares at him. "What?"

Mitsuhiko blushes. "I um... always thought Haibara-san likes Conan-kun," he admits. "So I didn't say anything."

"I guess you were wrong about Ai," Conan replies, staring at his plate. "She seems very happy with Natsubori."

"Hmm...maybe happy," Genta decides nonchalantly, shoving more food into his mouth. "But I don't think she's _very_ happy. And what about you, Conan? What would you change?"

Conan has no idea where to start with that question. He kind of wishes he hadn't been a nosy idiot when he had been seventeen, but that means the Black Organization would still exist, and he wouldn't have met Genta, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Ai. He wishes he hadn't told Ran he would come back all those years ago, just to break her heart in the end, even though the last time he saw her, Ran had been happily arranging her marriage. He also wishes he had realized his feelings for Ai _before_ she started dating Natsubori, but he didn't really want to tell Genta and Mitsuhiko that.

In the end, he just shrugs and stands up to clean the plates. "I think time is something we shouldn't play with too much," he says firmly. "Some things are better left the way they are."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Dance Like No One's Watching  
**Sep 27th: Some people do tango.  
Word Count: 386

Conan decides at the beginning of his third year that he hates Natsubori. There is nothing wrong with him. And that is precisely the reason he hates the other boy.

Natsubori is a good soccer player, but he isn't a star like Conan, which seems to suit Ai fine because she doesn't like being in the spotlight. Natsubori isn't a walking encyclopaedia like Conan, but he knows enough about current events and school to hold a conversation with Ai. Natsubori gives Ai a stuffed penguin for Christmas and a dozen roses for White Day; it is not what Conan would have chosen, but Ai likes the presents nonetheless.

One day after soccer practice, Conan leaves the change room to find Natsubori and Ai talking near the bleachers. He wants to interrupt them, but refrains from breaking the promise he has made to himself about giving Ai a chance to grow. Nonetheless, she sees him within the minute, waves a casual goodbye to Natsubori, and walks up to him.

"Hakase comes back from the science convention today," she reminds him with a smile. "Let's go home."

He nods and they start walking together. Conan studies her profile and starts, "Hey, how are you and Natsubori?"

She shrugs at his question. "The same as always," she replies nonchalantly.

"Oh," he responds unintelligently.

Ai sighs. "We are partners in a single segment of a dance," she tells him cryptically. "The dance of life lasts a long time. You try to find a partner for each segment because it gets lonely otherwise. A dance is made up of repetitive steps, so of course things start repeating after awhile."

He frowns, trying to understand the metaphor. "So, once you find the right partner, you dance the same steps with them forever?" he asks.

"Of course not," she admonishes. "You dance until you find that you have been doing different segments of the dance with the same person and neither of you have missed a step during the change. That person is the right partner."

Conan is still confused, but for once, he doesn't mind. This conversation feels like the ones he and Ai used to have before Natsubori entered the picture. And he has missed them, and her, more than ever before. He smiles and enjoys the quiet moment with Ai.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Emergency 211**  
Sep 28th: Make me!  
Word Count: 280

Conan gets the call in the middle of a sunny afternoon during the fall of their last year in junior high. He knows Ai is out with Natsubori, so is naturally curious why she is calling him.

"Hey," he answers.

"Conan-kun!" the urgency in her voice alerts him right away that something is wrong. "Robbery! Haido City Shopping Centre!"

He is up and grabbing his skateboard before he knows it. "Weapons?" he demands.

"Gun, I think," she replies.

"Stay put," he tells her. He is racing down the street on his skateboard with the tracking glasses on before he even calls the police, bypassing the regular dispatch. "There's a two-one-one in Haido City Shopping Centre," he tells Megure who picks up the call. "Potential four-one-seven!"

It takes eight minutes since he hung up with Ai to get there, and he arrives to chaos. He takes the time to stop a man, who is shaking.

"Hey, what happened?"

The man looks at him, obviously shocked. "Robbery. I think the man ran and a girl was shot," he whispers.

Oh no. Conan has a sinking suspicion he knows what has happened. "Where?" he demands. "Where's the girl?"

He follows the man's instructions and soon finds himself fighting against a crowd.

"Move!" he yells. "Let me through!"

When he finally makes it through, he is looking at a scene that makes the blood drain from his face. There is a boy his age standing on one side, looking around in confusion, like he doesn't know what has just happened. A crying mother is holding her three children and in the middle, a strawberry blonde lies on the ground, bleeding from a chest wound.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**You're My Superhero**  
Sep 29th: Objects in the mirror.  
Word Count: 499

The scene is scarily familiar, like the time he found Ai shot and dying when they took down the Organization.

"Ai!" Conan screams, running to the girl. He quickly takes off his light jacket and presses down on her wound. "Natsubori! Don't just stand there! Roll up your jacket and tuck it under her knees! Does anyone have a blanket or something warm?"

Around him, people start moving into action, helping where they can.

"What happened?" he demands.

"S-She...she was pushing those kids out of the way," Natsubori answers fearfully. "The next thing I know, the shooter is running and she's bleeding and I don't know what to do."

Conan glances at the three children. One is a small girl, the middle child is taller, and the oldest has some extra weight around his stomach. Of course, he thinks, they reminded her of Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, and Genta.

"You're supposed to protect her," he snarls softly.

"C-Conan?" Ai's voice is weak, but Conan's focus shifts to just the girl on the floor.

"Hey," he says softly. "Help will be here soon, okay?"

"The kids," she whispers.

"Shaken, but fine," he answers.

"Good," she starts to close her eyes.

"No! Ai!" he yells. "Don't close your eyes! Come on, stay awake!"

"You're too loud," she murmurs. "I'm so tired."

"No, you're not. Look at me!" he insists, but he sees her eyes losing focus. "Come on, look at me. Baby please, I'm right here. Don't close your eyes. I can't lose you, okay? I love you. Please, please don't close your eyes."

He doesn't know how long has passed, but he does know when the ambulance arrives and the paramedics practically pry him off so they can attend to Ai. Conan tells the ambulance to go ahead without him, because he knows that Ai will be in surgery, and with the adrenaline now running through him, if he's stuck in the waiting room with nothing to do, someone in the hospital might kill _him_. He calls the professor before he gets to work with Inspector Momose of the Third Division.

Natsubori comes up to him halfway through the investigation, looking a little more composed. "Ne, Edogawa-kun," he starts, "why aren't you and Haibara-san together?"

Conan is surprised by the appellation. "You call her by her last name?" he asks.

Natsubori shrugs. "She didn't want me to call her by her first name," he explains. "Only you and Yoshida-san, she said. So, why aren't the two of you together?"

Conan shifts uncomfortably. "Because," he answers, "she has you. I'm not interfering if that's what she wants."

There is a long silent pause, then Natsubori starts to laugh. "For the smartest kid in the school, you sure are slow," he grins. "Haibara-san is beautiful and witty and I love having her as a girlfriend. But everyone, including us, knew it wouldn't last."

"What?" Conan is taken aback by this confession.

"Edogawa-kun," Natsubori continues. "Everybody knows that for Haibara-san, it will always be you."

-o-o-o-o-o-

**Come What May**  
Sep 30th: Look towards the future with indifference.  
Word Count: 469

Ai is curled up on the couch with a book in Agasa's living room when Conan stops by after school with Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko in tow. The three pile onto the sofa across from her while Conan plops down beside her and drops his head into her lap, closing his eyes.

"I'm exhausted," he mutters.

"Conan-kun," Mitsuhiko scolds, "Haibara-san is still recovering."

"Oh trust me, I'll be on the floor by now if she doesn't want me here," Conan replies dismissively.

Ai snaps her book shut and hits him lightly on the forehead with it. "If anyone is exhausted, it should be me," she points out.

"I just chased down a criminal, on _foot_, _after_ soccer practice," Conan grumbles.

"That was really cool!" Genta chimes in.

"It was like the Shounen Tanteidan was back!" Ayumi adds enthusiastically.

"And still taking down criminals together!" Mitsuhiko agrees.

"I'm sorry I missed it," Ai smiles at them. She brushes Conan's hair back, cool fingers lightly grazing his forehead. He makes a soft noise of contentment.

"Are you feeling well enough, Ai-chan?"Ayumi changes the topic. "We really want to know what happened and Conan-kun won't tell us which of the rumours are true."

"Rumours?" Ai echoes. "Like what?"

All three stare pointedly at Conan, who has yet to open his eyes or move.

"The soccer team said you and Natsubori got in a fight and broke up," Genta supplies cautiously.

"What I heard was that there was a big gun fight at Haido City Shopping Centre, and that you got shot protecting Natsubori-kun," Mitsuhiko adds.

"All the girls are saying Conan-kun rescued you from a murderer and that's why you broke up with Natsubori-kun," Ayumi finishes.

Conan opens his eyes and grins at Ai. "Junior high gossip mill," he drawls, "scarier than the Tokyo free press."

"It was an armed robbery and I was shot trying to protect some kids," Ai clarifies. "Natsubori-kun said it's too much pressure to compete against James Bond here, so we're just friends now."

"So, are you and Conan-kun together now?" Ayumi asks.

"Well, Ai hasn't agreed exactly…" Conan trails off pointedly.

"Says the guy who only managed to confess when I'm almost unconscious," Ai retorted.

Conan sits up and kisses her. When he pulls back, he notices Genta and Mitsuhiko taking out their wallets and putting money into Ayumi's open palm. "Seriously?" he grumbles. "You guys, too?"

"Most of the First Division owes Ayumi-chan and Satou-san money now," Mitsuhiko tells them with a shrug.

"What else about my life do you guys have bets on?" Conan scowls.

"That's police confidentiality," Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko all declare with big grins.

Ai laughs. Forget cliché quotes about bright futures and tomorrow being a better day. She can't think of anything better that this exact moment. This...is perfection.

-o-o-o-o-o-

End of Story.

Total word count: 11,944

**Appendix (a.k.a. The Reference Book)**

**Naming conventions**: Mostly consistent with the show. Exceptions (and others):

Ai & Ayumi: Ai refers to Ayumi as "Yoshida-san" in the show. I felt that after so many years of being friends and with Ayumi using her first name already, Ai is likely comfortable enough to use Ayumi's first name too.

Conan & Ai: They refer to each other as "Edogawa-kun" (or "Kudo-kun") and "Haibara" in the show. As briefly mentioned, after years of being very close friends and partners, they change to first names.

Ishida Keichi (OC): Conan refers to him as "Keichi-nii-san" because he is "older" and with "-san" rather than "-chan" since he is not that close to him.

Natsubori Takuto (OC): Ai keeps their formal appellations because (as mentioned) she never meant for the relationship to last. Since she is formal with everyone else, it makes sense that she wouldn't allow Natsubori to call her by her first name.

Hakase: literally "professor". In this fic, it's in reference to Agasa.

-_sensei_: most commonly refers to a teacher

-_sempai_: literally "upperclassman". Used commonly to refer to classmates in a higher grade.

-_nii-san _or _-nii-chan_: suffix of "onii-san". Literally "older brother". Also used for a man older than yourself, but not old enough to be "uncle".

-_nee-san_ or _-nee-chan_: suffix of "onee-san". Literally "older sister". Also used for a woman older than yourself, but not old enough to be "aunt".

_-kaa-san_: mom

Meitantei-san: roughly Mr. Great Detective

**Others cultural references**: If you didn't already know.

Shounen Tanteidan: literally "youth detective club". Also translated as "Detective Boys". In the show, the group references Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Ai, and Conan.

Heisei Era: current century/era/time on Japanese calendar. "Modern Day", if you will.

Ne: like "um...", or "hey", or "yo"

Valentine's Day and White Day: In Japan, on V-day, girls give chocolates to the boys who are their family/friends/crush/significant other. On White Day, the boys reciprocate if they want to.

Okaeri nasai: polite form. "Welcome home", roughly.

Tadaima: "I'm back", roughly.

Two-one-one (211) & Four-one-seven (417): police code for robbery & person with a gun respectively (as per Wikipedia)


End file.
